CHAVEZ ARRIVES LATE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000492 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID XM XL HA VE SUBJECT: CHAVEZ ARRIVES LATE REF: A. PORT AU PRINCE 78 ¶B. PORT AU PRINCE 266 ¶1. (SBU) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Haiti March 12 for meetings with Haitian President Rene Preval and Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo Hernadez. Though the GoH had announced bilateral meetings with the Venezuelan President, as well as a trip to a construction site, Chavez arrived four hours late -- while Preval waited at the airport -- and so the program was limited to a wreath-lying at Port-au-Prince's monument to Simon Bolivar, and a trilateral meeting followed by a press conference. The organization of the day was clearly thrown off by Chavez' late arrival, and apparently ended with a delay of his plane's departure, again with Preval waiting at the airport. ¶2. (SBU) During the press conference, Preval confirmed the US $20 million that Chavez had announced in Venezuela on March 5. Reportedly, the money will serve as humanitarian reserve fund for Haiti in order to back social, infrastructure and power-supply programs. Chavez also re-announced his donations of garbage trucks to Haiti, which his Vice President had announced in late January. (Note: According to press reports in late January, Venezuela will donate five or six garbage trucks and Haiti will purchase 25 more. End note.) Also, the Venezuela president said he would augment the amount of fuel Haiti will receive through Petrocaribe from 5,000 barrels a day to 14,000 barrels. (Note: Haiti's daily fuel demand is only 11,000 barrels. Venezuela and Haiti announced last October that Petrocaribe would supply 100 percent of Haiti's fuel, up from 60 percent (the same jump Chavez made reference to at the press conference). Since the initial shipment of fuel arrived May, 2006, Haiti has not received any further shipments. End note.) Venezuela pledged funds for improvement to provincial Haitian airports and airport runways (also previously announced) and experts on economic planning to help identify development priorities. Other pledges include Cuban commitment to bring medical coverage to all Haitian communes, Cuban and Venezuelan electrical experts to improve energy generation, and a trilateral cooperation bureau in Port-au-Prince. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Gabriel Verret, one of Preval's closest advisors, told the Ambassador that the trip could have been worse. The GoH stopped a rally that was supposed to take place in favor of Chavez and tried to limit Chavez' speaking time at the press conference. While waiting at the airport, Verret had let the Ambassador know that he (and presumably the President) were frustrated with Chavez' late arrival. Overall, disorganization and last-minute planning were evident, and even the pledges of aid and assistance are either old news or vague. GoH officials have complained to post privately in the past that Venezuelan aid can be a burden the GoH: the initial Petrocaribe shipment sat in storage for months until the GoH finally succeeded in selling it (primarily to the only local company) and the public works minister complained in December that nobody could figure out how to make use of several tons of tar Venezuela sent in late 2006. SANDERSON